After Wonderboy draw, does UFC do rematch or pair Woodley & Maia?
After Wonderboy draw, does UFC do rematch or pair Woodley & Maia?
It was a confusing co-main event last night at UFC 205 as ring announcer Bruce Buffer inadvertently read the wrong result during the Tyron Woodley title defense against Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson.
Buffer started to make the announcement, then halted and exited the cage. When he came back in Buffer announced Woodley as the winner via split decision.
After color commentator Joe Rogan started interviewing the champion it was then announced that scores were the same but that the result was a majority draw and Woodley would still retain.
So, what do the UFC matchmakers do?
Do they book a rematch between Woodley and Thompson or do you line up the next in line which is Demian Maia?
“You rematch them,” White said to MMAJunkie at Madison Square Garden in New York City, which hosted the Saturday pay-per-view event. “It was a draw, and the fight was ridiculous. It was a ‘Fight of the Night.’ Do it again.”
Demian Maia has won six straight in the welterweight division and recently bested onetime title challenger and interim champ Carlos Condit.
White said he’ll keep his spot, but may have to wait.
“(Maia will) get the next shot if he wants to fight somebody else,” the UFC executive said. “I hate to make fights, but (the rematch) makes sense.”
The case for a rematch
If you saw the fight, it was one hell of a scrap between Thompson and Woodley. The two men earned Performance of the Night bonuses for their efforts.
Before last night’s draw Thompson was on an incredible seven fight UFC win streak. His last loss came in 2012 to Matt Brown at UFC 145.
Rematches are usually the best case scenario because the outcome should define a clear cut winner.
The case for Demian Maia
The Brazilian Jiu Jitsu specialist Demian Maia is currently riding a six fight win streak dating back to May 2014. Maia once challenged for the UFC middleweight title when he challenged Anderson Silva back at UFC 112 in 2010.
Maia’s latest win streak includes victories over Carlos Condit, Matt Brown, Gunnar Nelson, Neil Magny, Ryan LaFlare, and Alexander Yakovlev.
Let’s Not Forget McGregor
Then there is the other option….. Can Conor McGregor go after a third belt? McGregor and Woodley did have a few heated backstage moments over the weekend. McGregor not one to shy away from calling out fighters in other divisions has already fought up at welterweight, having two contests with Nate Diaz earlier this year.
Woodley has talked about how he has wanted “money” fights. It doesn’t get more money that Conor McGregor.
“I’m 100 percent positive he’s never been hit with the shots I’ll hit him with. I don’t think Conor understands the pressure I can put on him, the power i can put on him in every different attack,” Woodley said. “I don’t think I can win; if I beat him I’m supposed to beat him, if I don’t win we all know what happens.
“If he wants it, we can sign it right now. I just don’t think it’s a good idea for him.”
